The Maw
“It is a beast that swallows the apostate, the doubter, and all who ship with them. Better to slay the unfaithful than risk the dread Maw whilst such false wretches draw breath.” –Opening lines of the Voidfarer’s Warning from the Drusian Play The Koronus Passage is a stable but dangerous warp route that passes through the Great Warp Storms separating the Calixis Sector from the Koronus Expanse. The Koronus Passage was discovered by a Magos-Explorator of the Machine Cult in the distant past, lost for millennia, and found once more by the Rogue Trader Purity Lathimon at the very close of the 40th Millennium. The Passage links Port Wander and the Drusus Marches to the great star Furibundus and the void colony of Footfall---and beyond Footfall, the Koronus Expanse beckons. Superstitious voidfarers call the route “the Maw.” To their eyes the Maw is a beast made of warp storms, cunning and malicious, whose crushing gullet must be braved by those who seek to break through to the Koronus Expanse beyond. Many have died in trying, and traversing the Maw remains harrowing despite centuries of experience gathered by Navigators and Rogue Traders. Some say this ill-omened title came from the first to survive the crossing---and that they returned wild-eyed, at the edge of sanity, and few journeyed to the voids again. The possibilities of a passage through the Great Warp Storms were first recorded by Abenicus, insane Navigator of House Benetek, and have gripped the hearts and minds of Rogue Traders ever since that time. Vast riches and a way through the Great Warp Storms were once a lure to the brave and foolhardy, and many died for pursuing what they believed to be the truth. In time, cautious steps into what would be called the Maw laid the groundwork for the Stations of Passage that guided steps of those passing through the Maw. Later, during the Mistaken Age of the early 41st Millennium, Navigators learned to read the Maw and its moods---to see signs in the warp for what they were and so avoid the sudden, sweeping maelstroms that doomed earlier explorers. The Stations of Passage fell into disuse, save as refuges from unexpected upheaval in the empyrean, and as covert rendezvous points for plotting Rogue Traders. In the present times the Maw is a rite of passage for Rogue Traders of the Calixis Sector. A Lord-Captain may bear the greatest Warrant of Trade ever seen in Port Wander, but until he harrows the Maw and survives to see the raging light of Furibundus at its farthest end, he is no better than a common Free Trader in the eyes of his peers. 'The Maw and the Fleet' “All that you know is left at the entrance to the Maw.” –Darius Xerxes, Master Helmsman Beyond the Rubycon II System, the Koronus Passage looms wide, ready to swallow the Rogue Trader ships that brave its depths. The Maw is so vast it is more a region of space than a opening in the warp storms along the Drusus Marches—but the Maw can also swell closed when the warp storms rage, shrinking to the narrowest passage. Though the boundaries of the Calixis Sector end at the entrance to the Maw, there are certain Imperial organizations that venture beyond those bounds. Chief amongst them is Battlefleet Calixis of the Imperial Navy who maintains a watch of warships at Port Wander, the entrance to the Maw, and some say, within the Expanse beyond. This squadron, under command of Fleet-Captain Nathaniel Horne, is on extended detached duty from the rest of Battlefleet Calixis. Though the squadron---Passage Watch 27 Est---is not large, especially compared to Battlefleet Calixis as a whole, it is comprised of several cruisers, light cruisers, and battlecruisers, supported by multiple destroyer and frigate escorts. These ships have some of the most combat experience in Battlefleet Calixis, as they are almost constantly in conflict with raiders, pirates, and the occasional xenos vessel that come through the Maw to plunder the Calixis Sector. Passage Watch 27 Est is hard-pressed but vigilant, and on occasion has sent its distinctive crimson-prowed vessels on counter-actions and reprisals into the Expanse. This has led the ships’ crews to refer to themselves---only half-jokingly---as “Battlefleet Koronus.” 'Zone 15' Within the last century, Passage Watch 27 Est has placed a blockade on one of the rare becalmed sections of the Maw. Once dubbed the Fifth Station of Passage, this barren and unremarkable star system is now known as Zone 15. Navy frigates constantly patrol the edges of the system, and unauthorized vessels are challenged first with terse warnings, then lance fire. However, Zone 15 sees a large influx of ship traffic. Convoys of mass conveyors and unwieldy transports put into Port Wander for fuel and supplies, though neither the crews nor passengers (if any) are allowed to disembark. These convoys vanish into the Koronus Passage, and those who traverse the Maw regularly claim their destination is Zone 15. When the convoys eventually return, their holds are empty and their hulls often show the scars of combat. On occasion (and with increasing regularity in recent decades), Rogue Trader vessels have been given leave to pass into Zone 15. These vessels return months or years later, if at all, although most of their captains remain tight-lipped, some speak of an ancient relic, a “gate” that leads somewhere... else. If these captains know where this “Jericho Reach” lies, they do not speak of it. However, with increasing numbers of ships entering Zone 15, it is only a matter of time before the truth is revealed. 'The Stations of Passage' “Don’t be fooled, the Maw is alive! It takes the measure of each man passing through it and decides if you’re worthy enough to venture on.” –Garvel Marvollo, Rogue Trader, addressing a group of Imperial Fleet cadets on Cypra Mundi The Stations of Passage are a number of locations along the Koronus Passage, better known as the Maw. Each was discovered through trial and error as bold and foolhardy Rogue Traders traversed the Maw to reach the Koronus Expanse. Some are extremely familiar to the Rogue Traders who navigate this precarious passage, while others are known only to a few. Thus, nobody knows for certain how many Stations exist. Each Station is different from the others---they are united only in that they are each a safe haven against the predications of the powerful warp storms that surround the Maw. Those who journey through the Maw consider the secrets of the location of the Stations extremely valuable. Of those known, some are shunned as more dangerous than the storms they supposedly provide protection from. However, there are four main stations that are widely regarded as “safe,” and many renowned Rogue Traders claim these places have saved their vessels on more than one occasion. The various Stations of Passage are also regarded as neutral grounds, at least for most. However, there are those renegades who won’t hesitate to lay in ambush at one of the various stations in the hopes of preying upon damaged ships. Such scum are usually found out for what they are, as no “honorable” trader who traverses the Passage will stand for such behavior. In addition, within the last century the Battlefleet patrols of Passage Watch 27 have made piracy slightly more hazardous. The Stations of Passage were discovered gradually, as those traversing the Maw explored its secrets. As the Maw swelled and sealed with the strengthening and weakening of nearby storms, ships noticed certain locations of calm that remained untouched. What began as a few locations became an ever-changing network as Navigators and captains made discoveries. As time went on, many of the Stations fell out of use, with some being used as clandestine meeting points for Rogue Traders to broker deals away from the prying eyes of Imperial authorities. Other stations were cordoned off as they led to nowhere, or even put ships into mortal jeopardy. Some of the Stations of Passage are installations or artefacts, while others are nothing more than dead systems with shattered worlds of rock and spent cinders for stars. There are even a few that are simply clear void, or streams of energized plasma. *The Temple *Witch-Cursed World *The Battleground *The Hermitage Category:Koronus Expanse Category:Koronus Expanse Regions